Page 51 of Lies like Rubies, Part Two (Savage Jewels)

“Tell your hacker that we need more information about where the girls are being held, today,” Sofia instructed, her voice calm and cool. “We’ll raid the neighborhood.”

Dante stalked over to her and wrapped his bloody hands in her hair, jerking her head back.

“Who the fuck do you think you are, kitten?”

Sofia shoved against his stomach, taking a step backward. “How many times do we need to discuss this, Dante? I might cede to your wishes when it comes to my personal safety, but I’m in charge here.”

He tightened his grip on her hair and pulled her back against him.

Sofia gasped, and I wanted to gather her in my arms and protect her from this cruel, brutal man. What the fuck did he think he was doing? She’d spent a week brutalized by Sergio Accardi, and the last thing she needed was more abuse from this fucker.

Nick stepped toward me, stopping me with a touch to my stomach. When I continued, he pressed back harder,staring at me, as if I had a shot in hell of understanding why Dante would treat our queen this way.

“I think I’m the woman who spent a week in Sergio’s clutches, whose four-year-old now worries about her fucking sugar intake after spending a week with my parents. I’m the woman who’s no safer today than I was when I escaped on my own.”

Dante stepped backward, his eyes flashing with fury, dragging Sofia along with him, tears forming in her blue eyes as she stumbled toward him.

“No, slut. You’re fucking mine.”

He lowered his hand, forcing her to kneel at his feet as tears streamed down her face.

Once again, Nick stopped me before I could interfere.

Sofia knelt between Dante’s feet, her hands on his thighs, her chest heaving as she struggled to hold in her tears.

“Fuck you,” she snarled.

“No, slut. It’s time we came to a new understanding.”

“Strawberry,” she gasped.

What?

“Fucking strawberry, Oscuro!” she shouted, and to my shock, Nick stepped forward to lay a hand on Dante’s arm.

He released her, shoving her backward, anger hardening the cruel lines of his face.

Sofia used the counter to drag herself to her feet and stand before Dante.

“I could not watch your daughter and burn the city down to find you at the same time,” he growled.

We’d spent hours trying to find solutions, none of which was three mobsters trying to keep a four-year-old healthy and safe, even with Miss Carolina’s help, while we weretorturing and murdering enemy soldiers in hopes of tracking Sofia down.

When I would have stepped in to defend Dante, Nick shook his head again.

“You still broke your promise to me,” she said. “And that means I get to renegotiate the terms of our relationship.”

Nick moved away from Dante to stand beside me, a gentle and calming force, holding me back from murdering him for his lack of respect.

“I’m in charge, Dante. When it comes to my life, when it comes to my daughter, and when it comes to Sergio Accardi.”

“Is that so, slut? And when you’re back to whoring yourself out for the Russos, will you forget everything I’ve given to you and pretend to be in charge then too?”

To my utter shock and admiration, Sofia whipped a knife from the kitchen counter and held it to Dante’s neck, backing him up until he hit the wall.

“If I have been a slut, it has only ever been for the men in this room,” she said, her voice firm. “And if I am ever a slut again, it will only be for the men in this room. But do not mistake me, Oscuro. Submitting in the bedroom does not make me any less powerful outside of it.”

He could have disarmed her at any time but instead allowed her to threaten him. Would their unequal relationship change?

---